Food pyramid changing shape

By Allison Cerra

WASHINGTON — It seems that the Obama administration is looking to replace the food pyramid, which has provided Americans with dietary guidelines for nearly two decades.

Although the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services recently released the seventh edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans — which places stronger emphasis on reducing calorie consumption and increasing physical activity due to the rising obesity rates among adults and children — officials are taking the guidelines further by ditching the pyramid, which was updated in 2005, in favor of a plate-shaped symbol.

According to a New York Times report, the plate is divided into wedges to represent the basic food groups. The plate also will be half-filled with fruits and vegetables, the Times reported.

According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, more than one-third of children and more than two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese.